“I hope,” he whispered to him, “that you will follow his majesty’s example and not get killed for your folly in this den.”
“Set your mind at rest,” replied Athos.
“Aha!” continued D’Artagnan, “it is clear that they are afraid of something or other; for look, the sentinels are being reinforced. They had only halberds before, now they have muskets. The halberds were for the audience in the rear; the muskets are for us.”
“Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty-five men,” said Porthos, counting the reinforcements.
“Ah!” said Aramis, “but you forget the officer.”
D’Artagnan grew pale with rage. He recognized Mordaunt, who with bare sword was marshalling the musketeers behind the king and opposite the benches.
“Do you think they have recognized us?” said D’Artagnan. “In that case I should beat a retreat. I don’t care to be shot in a box.”
“No,” said Aramis, “he has not seen us. He sees no one but the king. Mon Dieu! how he stares at him, the insolent dog! Does he hate his majesty as much as he does us?”
“Pardi,” answered Athos “we only carried off his mother; the king has spoiled him of his name and property.”
“True,” said Aramis; “but silence! the president is speaking to the king.”